That's no surprise. While Sanchez had his moments in 2009, he's never displayed the kind of awareness and playmaking ability that Wilson showed during the 2012 preseason. Yes, it's only the preseason. But jobs are won in the preseason; highly paid free-agent acquisitions get benched because of the preseason.

On most teams, it might be a story that the veterans have allegiances to the former starting quarterback. On Seattle, Matt Flynn is just as new to the program as Wilson. Tarvaris Jackson is with the Buffalo Bills. This is a mostly new Seahawks group overall.

"He puts in a lot of hard work, man," fellow rookie Robert Turbin said, via the Tacoma News Tribune. "And he deserved to be the starter. He earned it. And I told him that I got his back for a whole career. He's the first guy in and the last guy out, you know what I mean? Sometimes I beat him to the punch. But ever since he's got here, he's acted like a quarterback that's been here for 10 years. He never really acted like a rookie.

"He motivates guys to go to work."

Wilson did everything possible to make Carroll's decision difficult. And Carroll made the call that most coaches wouldn't have the guts to make.